US OPEN

September 7, 2021

Barbora Krejcikova

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/B. Krejcikova

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on the match.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I think just Aryna, she was playing well. She's in such a good shape. She's just playing pretty good tennis. That's what she did today.

I mean, I was just trying to do my best. I was fighting. I mean, I wish the match was longer, but that's tennis. That's how it is.

I mean, overall I see this tournament very positive.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How are you doing physically after your last match, the last 48 hours?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, it was difficult. I mean, the tank is empty. I mean, just so many matches. The season is really long. It just got to me.

I don't really want to say -- I just don't want to take the match from Aryna because she was just playing really well. Yeah, I mean, the tank is empty. I was just fighting for every single ball. There is not much I can say. Last couple of days and nights, they've been really difficult with everything that happened.

It's a part of the process. I just have to learn from it and just keep going.

Q. How did being on the bigger court match up to the expectations?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, it's really hard to talk about some things.

I would say that I really enjoyed it until the moment today, not really being in a perfect shape. Also the match before where I had some medical difficulties. Unless all these things happened, I really enjoyed it out there. I really loved the crowd. I think they've been giving us a really good atmosphere.

Every time they have been clapping or calling my name, it just gave me a lot of positive energy. I just wanted to give it back to them with the fight.

Q. Garbine's reaction to what happened in the match...

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Say it again.

Q. There was a lot that was made of Garbine's reaction to you. Do you have any thoughts on it?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, I just know what she told me at the net. I don't know what was happening after. I just tried not to look at it. Yeah, I guess she has a lot of fans because she's just playing longer than I do.

I would say I guess it was pretty negative, but that's the way it is. I mean, I didn't expect it because, yeah. I wasn't in a -- I don't know how to say it. I just didn't expect that I'm going to be accused like this.

Also I was watching a little bit the end of the match so I knew what was actually happening. I just felt right now that I got really humiliated by a Grand Slam champion, which I've never seen.

It's tough. I mean, I'm sad about it because, to be honest, when I step out of the court, it took me actually one hour to get to the locker room. I was in really bad shape. I was just, like, cramping. I felt really, really bad.

I never experienced something like this, something from behind the scenes that nobody knows and nobody has seen.

Q. Are you planning some rest time?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Yeah, I see somewhere I played 104 or 105 matches lately. It's actually a lot matches. I didn't expect I'm going to be playing on such a high level.

Yeah, at some point for sure I got to stop, I got to rest. I mean, it's really hard to say right now because there are just still so many tournaments coming up. I mean, I have to find a good schedule.

Right now I didn't know that the situation's going to be like this, that I'm going to be sitting here, be a top-10 player, have a chance to be in one of the main rooms. I would just say that everything is really, really positive.

Yeah, I mean, for sure I have to stop at some moment. For sure I have to schedule the tournaments better, especially schedule them better next year so I have more power at the end of the year.